Windsor Park Boys Reminisce: Laughing at the Past

By Paul Johnson

Windsor Park Boys Reminisce is a nostalgic collection of stories based on the lives of Henry and Larry as they reminisce about fun times growing up with the Windsor Park Boys during the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Get to know Henry and Larry and the Windsor Park Boys through their comical coming-of-age stories—from grade school to dating girls and all the antics in between.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Release date: Nov 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781977259790

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is a historian whose work ranges over the millennia and the whole gamut of human activities. He regularly writes book reviews for several UK magazines and newspapers, such as the Literary Review and The Spectator, and he lectures around the world. He lives in London, England.

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Windsor Park Boys Reminisce

Laughing at the Past

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2023 Paul Johnson

v2.0

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Outskirts Press, Inc.

http://www.outskirtspress.com

ISBN: 978-1-9772-5979-0

Cover & interior illustrations © 2023 Paul D. Johnson. All rights reserved - used with permission.

Outskirts Press and the OP logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Like to dedicate this book to my family and friends.

Also, thanks to the Windsor Park Boys. Without them,

I couldn’t have put our fictional story together (wink, wink).

Special thanks to my wife, who encourages me to keep writing and cartooning.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Catholic School

After School

Early Money

Pellet Gun Mania

The Rocks

Ninth Grade

Driving Cars

High School

Let the Good Times Roll

Frenchie

Sports

The Great Sign War

Girls

So, What Did We Learn Growing Up?

Everyone Has a Funny Story

INTRODUCTION

These are the stories about the Windsor Park Boys growing up in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Some of the stories came from various sources, but most came from the leftover minds of the Windsor Park Boys, whose names had to be changed to protect the guilty.

Ever keep in touch with the friends you grew up with? Reminiscing about the things you did as kids. Going to grade school, hanging out after school, getting your first car. How about going to high school? Remember when you started to date? I know it wasn’t always fun times. Sometimes they were downright embarrassing. Sometimes they were hilarious. Reminiscing is not only fun, but it can be therapeutic. Life was different growing up in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Every household didn’t have a computer, or an iPad. No one was texting each other on smartphones. If we wanted to see or talk to someone we would meet at a certain spot or go over to their house. We were outside guys that entertained ourselves. Not saying we were the smartest kids in the school, but we own up to what we did as kids, because it happened. We survived growing up. We like to look on the funny side of life. Life is too short not to laugh.

My name is Henry Perkins, and Larry Collins and I are going to narrate to you some stories about our growing up with the Windsor Park Boys. Hopefully our stories will get you to reminisce about your childhood friends and the funny things that you went through. Some parts of our stories may not be suitable for your visual enjoyment, and Larry might use some language for adults only.

Larry had two sisters, and I had two sisters and two brothers. Larry and I hung out all the time even though we had opposite personalities. Larry was a thick-headed child who turned into a rock-and-roll risk-taker and is now stuck in the sixties and seventies.

Larry and I lived behind each other.

Don’t remind me, Henry. Like those ranch houses in Windsor Park were so close, my sisters could see you in the bathroom getting ready for school. They told me you totally stayed way too long in front of the mirror. Just like a girl.

Larry, please, let’s start at the beginning of the story.

Windsor Park was a neighborhood built in the fifties near the Crompton Textile Mills in West Warwick, Rhode Island. I was only four years old when my parents moved us there. Memories of all the fun times still race through my head. Kids growing up together not realizing that one day we’d grow apart. It was there we were forever molded into the Windsor Park Boys.

Windsor Park was home to a lot of families. The kids in the families ranged from teenagers on down. We all had different descents: Irish, Swedish, Polish, French-Canadian, Italian, Scottish, and Indian. All-American mixed-breed boys. Larry, I’ll never forget meeting you for the first time. We were only four years old. I was standing in the corner puddle across the street from my house when you rode over on your tricycle. It was such an innocent time.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Most of the Windsor Park Boys went to Catholic schools. Everyone in school had to wear uniforms. One day my classmate came in with a brand-new shirt, not even washed yet. Unknown to everyone, if you perspired, the chemicals they used in the shirt made it smell really bad. Well he wore the shirt all week and earned the nickname Stinky. Everyone teased him including myself. I didn’t realize why he smelled until my parents bought me a new shirt and I wore it to school. I felt Stinky’s pain. I thought it was the worst day of my life. I happened to get the shirt real dirty that day and my mom had to wash it. Then I noticed the shirt didn’t smell anymore. I am still traumatized to this day and wash everything new before I wear it.

The Catholic schools were taught by nuns. I remember the nuns making us feel comfortable when we first started at Saint Mary’s School. It wasn’t until the fifth grade, when we had Sister Agnes, God rest her soul, that the comfortable feeling went away.

The little black-and-white pit bull taught respect the old-fashioned way. She was hands-on, right in your face, straightened you out right away. She never held back and always said what went through her mind. No filter included with this nun. There was nothing